


Moving Day

by thraxbaby



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Asra is with Muriel in this one, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-01 01:44:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21319825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thraxbaby/pseuds/thraxbaby
Summary: I just moved to a new house and needed to vent some feelings.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

"How do four people have so many boxes?" Julian groaned as he set down another box. Muriel passed him by, holding two big boxes on his shoulders. "Show off." Julian muttered. He looked to his girlfriend, who was staring at the house with uncertainty. He knew this place wasn't their first choice, or even their second choice... but it was all they could get in their budget, even between the four of them. 

Asra, Muriel, Julian, and Ramona had pooled their money to buy a house together. Of course, that was the original plan. But none of the nicer places accepted their offer, so they ended up here. The mobile home wasn't too bad. It was plenty spacious, even with four people living there. Julian and Ramona would room together, while Asra and Muriel took the other room. And while to most of them, this was a really nice place, Ramona was hesitant. 

Ramona had lived with her aunt for the last ten years in a house with a good roof and sturdy walls. But now, her aunt was gone and she couldn't afford to keep the house on her own. So she moved in with her boyfriend. But Julian lived on the shady side of town and wanted to live in a good place, if only for her safety. 

The new place was only a slight upgrade. It was in a good, quiet neighborhood, but the house itself was... old. It creaked and groaned and cracked, even when standing still. It was worse when you walked around. He saw the apprehension in her eyes whenever they walked across the house. 

The whole day, they set about taking boxes out of the moving van, setting them in their intended places, finding the nearest fast food places, and trying to dig for the things they needed most. It was nearly ten at night before they were in a place where they were comfortable enough to stop for the night. 

Julian felt dead on his feet and he could only imagine how Ramona was feeling. He pulled her to the bedroom, where they dressed in their pajamas and snuggled together in their bed. Every creak had Ramona clinging closer to Julian. At a particularly loud crack, Ramona whimpered, hiding her face in his shoulder. 

"Ramona, love, it's okay. It's just the house settling." Julian reassured her. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing soothing circles across her back. 

"I know, I just... It's still scary. Tia's house never made this much noise. I feel like one good wind could just blow this place apart. It feels so flimsy." Ramona confessed. "I know I shouldn't be complaining and I sound like a big baby, but I just..." Ramona sniffles, tears streaming from her eyes. She was scared and tired and frustrated with herself. 

"It's okay. You're entitled to your feelings. And I know this is all so new and this place isn't what you wanted, but I think we can make it work. Soon, we'll have all our things unpacked and this place will feel like home in no time. Until then, we just have to get used to it. They're just noises. They can't hurt you." Julian wiped the tears from her cheeks and pressed a kiss there. 

Ramona nodded. "I don't mean to cry over something so trivial. It's just that if the old house made this much noise, it meant something was wrong. I can't tell the difference between the house settling and someone trying to open the door. They all sound the same."

"You're tired. Try to relax and get some sleep." Julian said. It took some time and lots of kisses, but eventually, Ramona fell asleep, wrapped warmly in her boyfriend's embrace.


	2. Winds Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's 4:30 am and I still haven't slept because it's too windy and I'm a wimp. 
> 
> So of course I wrote this instead.

The wind blew hard, enough to make the house shift. Bangs and thumps and clanging wind chimes could be heard over the loud roar of the wind. Ramona squeezed her eyes shut and held on tight to her boyfriend. Julian could do nothing but hold her. Ramona was terrified of strong wind. Ever since a wind storm blew a tree over onto her childhood home, wind scared her. 

Another strong gust of wind blew, strong enough to shake the walls, and Ramona whimpered. She held her hands tight over her ears to block out the sounds. Julian held her tight, kissing her head and trying his best to calm her down. 

"Ramona?" 

Their bedroom door opened and Asra peeked his head in. The hall light illuminated Ramona's trembling form entwined with Julian. Asra had been a close friend for years. He knew Ramona better than anyone and as soon as the wind started acting up, he knew his best friend would be in for a rough night. 

"Asra, make it stop." Ramona begged. 

"I wish I could. You know I do." Asra said. He hated when she was scared. He wanted to give her the world and always keep her safe. But you can't control Mother Nature. 

"You know what? I have an idea. Grab your pillows and blankets and take them to the living room." Asra said before slipping back to his room. A minute later, he came back out, blankets in his arms and a sleepy Muriel in tow. They arranged the blankets and pillows into a huge nest and turned on the television. Asra found a late-night Three Stooges marathon and they all laid together to watch it. 

Muriel was the first to fall asleep, his snores nearly drowning out the sound of the wind. Asra was next, used to being lulled to sleep by Muri's snoring. Ramona could understand. When Julian actually slept, he would snore, too. It was certainly better than listening to the howling wind. 

Ramona cuddled closer to Julian, breathing in his scent and enjoying his warmth. His fingers scraped gently along her scalp, lulling her more and more into relaxation. Before she knew it, she was out like a light. Julian waited a bit, to make sure she was fully asleep before reaching for the remote and turning off the TV. He held his girlfriend close and fell asleep himself.


End file.
